Combined index and balance-indicator for account-books



2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

(No Model.)

H. RAND. UOMBINED INDEX AND BALANCE INDICATOR FOR AGGOUNT BOOKS.

Patented Mar. 21, 1893.

(Nb Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. H. RAND. I COMBINED INDEX AND BALANCEINDICATOR FOR ACCOUNT BOOKS.

No. 493,841. Patented Mar. 21, 1893.

l ds Rn I E\: :I::::: S:

77 5??? asses lug/621 131:

m: mams FETERS cu. Puma-Luna \vAsHwmoN, u. c

' NITED STATES PAENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. RAND, OF NORTH TONAl/VANDA, NEWV YORK.

COMBINED INDEX AND BALANCE-INDICATOR FOR ACCOUNT-BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,841, dated March12, 1893.

Application filed March 1 5 189 2.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. RAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Combined Index andBalance-Indicator for Account-Books, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an improvement in account books, and moreespecially to the ledgers used in banks and known as individual ledgers.

In order to ascertain the total deposits or take off a trial balancefrom the individual ledgers heretofore used, it was necessary to forwardthe balances of all the various accounts, even if the condition of someaccounts remained unchanged since striking the last balance. The work ofbringing forward such undisturbed balances involves a considerable lossof time and labor, especially in banks having numerous accounts, many ofwhich are comparatively inactive.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an account book whichdispenses with the necessity of bringing forward the balances ofunchanged accounts and requires only the balances of changed accounts tobe brought forward. The invention has the further object to so organizethe book that the balance of any depositor can be seen at a glancewithout the necessity of turning to his account.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is aperspective view of an individual ledger embodying my invention. Fig. 2is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale of one of thepages of the ledger. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of one of thecard holders. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section in line :r0c, Fig. 2, onan enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a cross section in line yy, Fig. 4.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the pages of the ledger which may be ruled in any ordinaryand well known manner. Each page is preferably ruled into several groupsor columns, so that a number of accounts may be placed on a page ifdesired, the several columns beingheaded with Serial No. 425.008- (Nomodel.)

appropriate titles. In the ledger shown in the drawings, the firstcolumn from the left in each group is for the date; the second and thirdcolumns for the checks in detail; the fourth for the total amount ofchecks; the fifth for the deposits, and the sixth for the balance.

Each page of the ledger which bears an ac-- count, is provided at itsvertical margin with a holder or pocket I) in which is arranged a card 0bearing the name of the account on that page and a corresponding card clindicating the balance of such account. This holder preferably consistsof an oblong plate provided at its longitudinal edges with lips orflanges b, forming slide-ways which receive the cards. The holder may beattached to the page by any suitable means, but it is preferablyfastened thereto by spurs 8 formed on the rear side of the holder andpenetrating the page, the spurs being provided at their ends withfastening disks or washers e which bear against the rear side of theleaf and are held upon the spurs by riveting or upsetting the ends ofthe latter, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

f represents springs arranged on the front side of the holder and whichbear against the rear sides of the cards. These springs, whilepermitting the cards to be easily inserted and removed from the holder,confine the same in the holder with sufficient security to preventaccidental displacement thereof. The spurs c and springs f arepreferably formed integrally with the holder by cutting the same out ofits oblong body, as shown in Fig. 3.

The marginal portions of the leaves of the book are cut away from thelower edges of the holders to the bottom of the leaves, in the form of acutout index, so that upon opening the book at the page to which theuppermost holder of the series is attached, the cards of the severalholders will be exposed, one below the other. The index and balanceindicator so formed, are arranged alphabetically and usually dividedinto groups or sections each comprising a part of the alphabet. In theledger shown in the drawings, the index consists of three sections; thefirst section eX- tending from A to I, inclusive, the second from J to Pinclusive, and the third from Q to Z. It is obvious, however, that inthin books having a small number of pages, the index may be arranged ina single unbroken series extending from the front to the back of thebook.

When several pages are left for an account, which is necessary in activeaccounts, all the leaves of such account are cut out like the leaf towhich the holder of the account is attached.

When several accounts are opened upon the same page, which may be donewith small accounts, as many card holders are secured to such page asthere are accounts upon the same.

In applying my improvement to a ledger, the holders with the name cardsarranged therein,are first attached to the desired pages of the book, inalphabetical order, and the names of the accounts are then written atthe top of the corresponding pages. The balance of each account is thenwritten upon a card or slip of paper and this card is inserted in theholder representing the account, as illustrated for instance in theaccount of Jones & Company which shows a balance of one hundred andtwenty-three dollars and fifty cents and accordingly contains anindicatorcard bearing that balance. Let it now be assumed that onFebruary 5, 1892, Jones & Company deposit two thousand dollars. Thisamount added to their last balance of one hundred and twenty -threedollars and fifty cents makes their present balance two thousand onehundred and twenty-three dollars and fifty cents. At the close of thedays business the bookkeeper removes the card bearing the old balance ofone hundred and twenty-three dollars and fifty cents and puts in itsplace another card bearing the new balance, namely two thousand onehundred and twenty-three dollars and fifty cents. Again, let it besupposed that on February 6, Jones & Company draw checks to the amountof five hundred dollars. At the close of the days business, thebookkeeper removes the indicating card of that account from its holderand substitutes therefor another card bearing the balance, one thousandsix hundred and twenty-three dollars and fifty cents. The balance of theother accounts upon which checks or deposits have been made sincebringing forward the last balances, are changed in the same manner,while the balance-indicating cards of those accounts which have not beenchanged are left undisturbed. The balance of any depositor can thus beseen at a glance by simply opening the book at the series of indicatingcards in which his name occurs and without the necessity of turning tohis account.

The balances on the several indicator cards of each series, being inline, one below the other, can be conveniently footed and by addingtogether the footings of the several series of balance cards the totaldeposits are obtained and the work of the bookkeeper is proved.

The balances of but a portion of the accounts ordinarily change from dayto day, and as only the balances of the changed accounts are broughtforward in the use of my improved account book, the labor of bringingforward the balances of undisturbed accounts is not only saved, but thefinding of the total deposits and the proving of the book-keepers workare greatly facilitated.

My improvement is herein described and shown in connection with anindividual ledger, but it may be applied with equal advantage toordinary commercial ledgers or other account books.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a book havingits pagesprovided along their outer edges with a series of open horizontalpockets or holders arranged substantially one below the other, wherebythe several pockets form a vertical row in which every pocket is exposedupon opening the cover of the book, of a name card adapted to be placedin each-of said holders, and a separate balance indicating card alsoarranged in each holder and adapted to be changed as the balance of thecorresponding account changes, substantially as set forth.

2. A ledger or similar account book having its pages provided withmarginal holders or pockets for receiving index and balance indicatingcards, the several holders being arranged one below the other and themarginal portions of the leaves of the book being properly cutout toexpose the cards in the various holders, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 7th day of March,

JAMES H. RAND. Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, ALICE G. CONNELLY.

